Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Watford and Blackpool at Vicarage Road as Toby Adeyemo and Ismaila Sarr steer the Hornets to victory on Saturday afternoon.
Saturday 14 January 2023 18:31, UK
Teenager Tobi Adeyamo made an instant name for himself by coming off the bench to opening the scoring in Watford's 2-0 home win against Blackpool.
The striker, 17, looked as stunned as he was elated to have found the net in the 72nd minute - just four minutes after replacing Vakoun Bayo for his first taste of league action. The youngster had made his first-team bow last week, coming on in a 2-0 FA Cup defeat at Reading.
Ismaila Sarr made sure of the points with a late penalty that had been conceded by Seasiders goalkeeper Chris Maxwell's rash challenge on another Hornets substitute, the debutant Matheus Martins.
The win lifted Slaven Bilic's injury-hit side up to third, with Blackpool, without a league win since October, dropping to second from bottom.
Sarr came close to firing the Hornets in front in the fourth minute after Maxwell, under pressure at his back post from an inswinging corner, could only palm the ball out of his six-yard box. Sarr seized upon it but saw his rising drive smack back off the bar.
Josh Bowler, back at his former employers in a loan deal from Nottingham Forest, marked his second Seasiders debut with a free-kick reply that home goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann was able to save.
Defender William Troost-Ekong and then Sarr caused concern in the home ranks by going down injured but both were able to continue.
Ismael Kone, the Canada youngster who had played at the World Cup finals, sent a tame long-ranger at Maxwell in a tame start to his league debut before Jordan Thorniley was off target with a header at the other end.
The half ended with a few boos for referee Gavin Ward for booking Watford's Mario Gaspar for a foul on Morgan Rogers but not Blackpool's James Husband for upending Kone.
Watford made a double change, with new signings Martins and Joao Ferreira replacing Jeremy Ngakia and Troost-Ekong and the new-look Hornets were denied an instant opener when Vakoun Bayo, set up by Sarr, saw Maxwell block his shot with a leg.
Ferreira was especially lively on the right, with Bayo setting Kone up for a shot that Maxwell dived to save.
Bilic made another double change and this time it proved decisive as Yaser Asprilla, on for Hamza Choudhury, produced an excellent pass to send Ferreira into the box. Maxwell was able to parry the shot that followed but Adeyamo was on hand to despatch the rebound in for a 72nd-minute opener.
Sarr wrapped up victory from the spot in the 87th minute after Maxwell had rashly come out to clatter Martins. The keeper was sent the wrong way by the Senegal star's calm finish.
Watford's Slaven Bilic:
"Let's not lie and say he would have played anyway but Tobi came on for the last 15 minutes at Reading and lifted the whole team up with his running and his brain.
"We planned that he would come on, in the last 20 minutes. We were hoping by then we would be winning and he would close them down but it was different - we needed him to be creative. The way he scored the goal… many young players, their only aim would be just hit the ball but no - he wanted to score and it was a proper finish. I like that mentality."
Blackpool's Michael Appleton:
"The performance was fine. The first goal is crucial, we have spoken about it time and time again - it doesn't matter what level you are playing. There is frustration in how we conceded the goal - there was carelessness on our part.
"I'm disappointed rather than frustrated, the players gave everything but our creating chances has to be better. I felt we would be the ones who would score the first goal. We were in the ascendancy when they scored."
